Isaiah 43:16-21

“Behold, I am doing a new thing... I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:19)

After the parallel sequences of prophecies in 41:1–20 and 41:21–42:17 have come to their natural end in praise, a new pair of sequences begins. First Yahweh directly confronts Jacob-Israel about its capacity to fulfill the servant role (42:18–25). Then Jacob-Israel is reassured that nevertheless Yahweh, the one who brought the community into being, is still committed to it (43:1–7). Further, its calling to be Yahweh’s servant still stands, and beyond that, Yahweh intends that it shall also function as witnesses for Yahweh in the legal battle over who is really God (43:8–13). Fourth, Yahweh explicitly declares the intention to defeat Babylon for Jacob-Israel’s sake (43:14–21). After this fourth unit Yahweh returns to confronting Jacob-Israel. At this point a sequence parallel to 42:18–43:21 begins and develops these points further.

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